Talía Guzmán-González, a graduate student in the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park, is a 2015 recipient of the Harold T. Pinkett Minority Student Award. The award recognizes minority graduate students of African, Asian, Latino, or Native American descent who, through scholastic achievement, manifest an interest in becoming professional archivists and active members of SAA.
In addition to her pursuit of a master’s in library and information science degree, Guzmán-González holds a PhD in Portuguese with a minor field in Latin American literature. She was an intern and currently volunteers at the Smithsonian Latino Center in Washington, DC, and is involved with the Latino GLBT History Project. As an archivist, Guzmán-González wants to “advocate for the presence of minorities as user, but also make sure that their contributions to our society are part of archival repositories.” In her past experiences as a teacher and current work in Washington, DC, she is committed to raising awareness about the histories of communities of color. Guzmán-González also was recently recognized by the Association of Research Libraries as a 2014 Career Enhancement Program Fellow.
Established in 1993, the award honors the late Dr. Harold T. Pinkett, who served with distinction during his long tenure at the National Archives and Records Administration and who was a Fellow of SAA. Also receiving the Pinkett Award this year is Rachel Winston, a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin.